On Invisibility
XCVI. On Invisibility
1. God does not possess visibility
which pertains to corporeality,
but <possess, rather, visibility which pertains> to intelligibility.
2. God does not possess a body, for which reason He cannot be seen;
however, one can hold Him in one’s intellect,
by understanding His perfect power.
3. Intellectivity and, in God, <His> intelligibility,
<are> worth more
than all the visibility pertaining to a body.
4. The deity is visible
in that man called Christ,
Who is visible <as a> deified man.
5. In accordance with the nature of thought,
God can be seen through the <act of> loving
which causes Him to be honoured.
6. To see God by means of spiritual sight
constitutes vision worthier than <any> other,
<vision> which best preserves man from evil.
7. To see Christ sitting upon the throne
surrounded by His <entire> retinue
constitutes a vision of perfection.
8. To know a lady to be sinful,
yet to see her greatly honoured,
is an unpleasant sight <to behold>.
9. It is better to see a poorly dressed pauper
who abounds in virtue,
than to see an ill-nurtured rich man.
10. He who feels very great contrition
once he has committed any sin,
<can> see forgiveness in mercy.